Mechanism for making side-seam envelopes



Sept. 25, 1928.

C. L. TUCKER MECHANISM FOR MAKING SIDE smu ENVELOPES Filed Ju ly 1a, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet C. L. TUCKER MECHANISM FOR MAKING SIDE SEAM ENVELOPES Sept. 25, 1928.

2 Sheets-Shet Filed July 13, 1926 Patented Sept. 25, 1928.

; UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARL L. TUCKER, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO'WILLETT R.

' LAKE, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

MECHANISM FOR MAKING- SIDE-SEAM ENVELOPES.

Application .filed J'uly 13, 1926.

My invention relates to improvements in mechanism for malnng side seam envelopes.

The main ob ect of the invention is to pro vide attachments for center sea-m envelope be used for the production of side seam envel opes, the said mechanism being simple in con struction, easily-and quickly at-tached to and detached from the machine, requiring no change in the arrangement or construction of the said machine, and being adapted to make different sized envelopes.

' These objects are accomplished by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of av center seam envelope making machine showing the 2- improved attachments thereon for the production of side seam envelopes.

Fig. 2 is aside viewof Fig. 1. Figures 3 and 4 are fragincntal side views, showing the operation of the improved attachment in receiving a side seam envelope and folding one of its side flaps. y

I Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the manner in which the side flap folding hooks are operated- Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of, the ad.- justable boa rings for the shaft upon which the folding hooks are rigidly mounted. and.

Figures 7 and 8 are plan views respectively of a center seam envelope and of a side seam envelope. w I

T he accompanying drawings show only so much of a center seam envelope malIing machine, as is necessary to illustrate the position and arrangement of the improved attachment with relation to the said machine, and the manner in which it cooperates with the envelope-delivering and conveying mechanism of that machine in producing aside seam envelope.

In making the center seam envelopes. each blank, as it passes through the machine is supplied with glue along its two end edges and one side edge, and the blank is folded to forr an orbit envelope having a center seam til). which closed at enc end as shown Serial No. 122,140.

in Fig. The envelopes are then delivered,

closed end foremost, to a receiving drum from which they are delivered to a rotating gripper which discharges them upon'a slowly moving endless belt, which is surroundedby endless cords which hold the envelopes in overlapping order upon'the belt, and which travel at the same rate of speed, as the belt. The belt is supported upon two drums, and the envelopes are carried from a point above the first or driving drum, over and around the second drum and to a point below the first drum, where they discharge upon a suitable conveyor-not shown.

During the passage of the envelopes upon the belt, the glue on the. open flap dries out, and fans,not shown are supported above the belt to assist the glue drying process.

In making side seam envelopes on this machine, however, both end flaps must be folded down and glued and one side flap must be left nnfoldedor open, so that the envelope will be open on one side instead of on one end, and to accomplish this, I employ the attachments embodying the present invention, and which will be hereinafter fully described.

Referring to the accompanying draw- 1ngs:

The letter A indicates a supporting frame which is made up of upper and lower horizontal side bars 1 and 2, respectively, which are connected by vertical bars 3, 4 and 5, 5 and 5 A drum 6 is supported in hearings in the vertical bars 4 at one end of the frame. and the drum 7 of about twice the diameter of the drum 6 is supported in hearings in the upper horiontal bars 1, near the opposite end of the frame, and these drums are connected by an endless canvas belt 8. The upper lap of the belt 8 has an upward inclination from the drum 6 to the drum 7, and the lower lap of the belt, instead of being in a direct line from one drum to theother. passes downbenea-th cross rods which connect the lower ends of the vertical bars 5, thus increasing the length of the belt without adding to the length of the frame. The end of the frame A in which the drum 6 is mounted, is connected to the delivery end of the main part of the machine B in which the envelopes are folded and glued.

Vertically disposed arms 9 are pivotally secured intermediate of their ends to the side bars 1 of the frame A, and at points on. the bars lmidway between the drains 6 and 7, In the upper end of the mini 9 are secured horizontal shafts which extend inward above the belt 8 and to the center thereof, and upon the inner ends of these shafts are loose ly mounted sheave wheels 11, around which are passed endless cords 12, the outer laps of which pass over sheave wheels 13 and 14 which are loosely mounted on shafts 15 and 16' which are supported in the upper and lower portions of the vertical bars From the wheel 1 1 the cords pass under rollers 17 supported on a shaft in the lower end portions of uprights 18 which support the rear port-ion of the frame A, and from the rollers 17, the cords pass beneath and close to the under lap of the belt 8 and then extend under and around sheave wheels 19 on a shaft 20 mounted in bearings in the bar 4 below the drum 6. From the'wheels 19, the cords pass beneath and in contact with the belt 8 and thence around and in'contact with the said belt to the sheave wheels 11. The lower ends of the arms 9 are connected by coil springs 9 with the upright bars 5 nearest the drum 7, and thus the cords 12 are maintained under tension.

The shaft 20 is a power driven shaft and is connected by gearing with the shaft of the drum 6. This feature is not illustrated, as it forms no part of the present'invention.

The mechanism thus far described forms a part of machines in present use forn'iaking center seam ei'ivelopes and my improved at tachments are positioned and arranged to cooperate with this mechanism, to produce side seam envelopes in a manner which will. now be set forth.

The upper ends of the vertical bars 5 of the frame A are connected by a horizontal cross bar 21 which extends under the upper lap of the belt 8. Brackets 22 in the form of channel sections are secured upon each end of the cross bar 1, the sections having de pending studs 23 which enter holes in the cross bar, and are held therein by set screws 2i which are screwed. into holes in'the side edges of the crossbar and against the said studs, as clearly shown in 6. Short horizontal bars 25 are adj ustably held in the channels 22, by set screws 26 and the bars 25 have secured thereon arms 27 having upwardly inclined portions which terminate in horizontal bearings 28. A rock shaft 29 is mounted in the bearings 28, and one end of this shaft extends beyond its bearing and is provided with ashort lever arm 30, to which is connected one end of a rod 31, the other end of which is adjustably connected to a block 32.

A second rod 33 is adjnstably connected at one end to the block 32, and its opposite end is pivotally connected to a crank 34; 011 a power driven horizontal shaft 35 supported in the main portion B of the machine The crank 34:, is in the form of a cap which is secured upon one end of the shaft 35', and in which 1s secured a crank pin 36 which receives the end of the rod as clearly shown in Fig. 5. Two sheave wheels 37 are loosely mounted on the rock shaft 29 and are connected by cord belts 38 with sheave wheels 39 formed on the outer sides of the sheave wheels 11. Two other sheave wheels iO are also loosely mounted on the rock shaft 29, outside the wheels 37, and the wheels 40 are connected by cord belts 41, with a solid metal roller 42 having trunnions 4E3 which are mounted in the upper ends of the-uprights 5 of the frame A.

The sheavew reels 3? and -10 are forward of the sheave wheels 11, and the roller l2 is rear of the said sheave wheels '11 and the roller 42 and the sheave wheels 37 and 40 rest upon the belt 8. Forwardly extending arms 4 1 are mounted at one end upon the trunnions of the roller 42, and in the opposite ends of these arms is mounted a solid metal roller 45 of less diameter than the roller 42, the roller 45 being positioned between the roller 42 and thesheave wheels 11 as clearly shown in Fig. .1.

The roller 4-2 and the sheave wheels 40 derive motion through engagement with the belt 8 and this motion is transmitted to the folded end of each envelope it deposited upon the belt and moved toward the sheave wheels-37 and 40, and pull said end under the wheels 37 and 40, as will hereinafter be more fully shown.

A. power driven shaft a7 is mounted in the forward end of the part B of the machine and above the drum'6, and agripper head 48 is mounted on this shaft and is adapted to receive envelopes from a drum l9 and deposit them upon the belt 8, in front of a pusher 59. A brief description of the gripper head and of the pusher will suffice, as they form a part of a machine in common use, and therefore are no part of the present invention. The

gripper head comprises parallel members X which are connected by a hub through which the shaft e7 passes. The ends of these members terminatein curved members Y which are concentric with the axis of the shaft -17, and which are provided. with grippers Z which are operated through the medium of a cam Z on the shaft 47, to grip an envelope on the drum 49 and hold the envelope until it is ready to be deposited upon the belt when it is operated, through the cam Z to release the envelope, which drops upon the hell; with its folded and glued end nextthe pusl:

- arm which is connected at one end and to the The pusher 50 is in the form of a horizontal lower end of an arm 51 which is loosely mounted at its upper end on the shaft 47.

'A rod 52 is secured at one end to a laterally projecting member 53 on the arm 51, and the other end of this rod is provided with a roller 54 which enters a cam groovein a cam disk 55 which is also mounted on the shaft 35. Through themedium of the cam 55 and rod 52, the arm 51 is operated to move the pusher forward whereby an envelope in front of the pusher is moved forward-in position to be engaged by the books 46 and drawn under the sheave wheels 37 and 40; The under side of the pusher bar 50 is provided with a series of recesses which fit over parallel guide bars 56 which are connectedat their ends to supporting bars 57 and 58, the bar 57 resting upon the belt 8 as shown in Figures 3 and 4, while the ends of the bar 58 are secured to the adjacent ends of the side bars 1 of the frame A. By this arrangement, the pusher is limited to a direct back and forth movement under the action of the arm 51.

As hereinbefore stated, the machine is primarily intended for the production of center seam envelopes, and suchenvelopes, before leaving the machine B, are stipped with glue along both end edges and one side edge; they are also folded in the manner shown in Fig.

7, the two side edges are glued together to form a center seam and one end flap is folded over and glued down, the other end flap being creased but left open, and the envelope in this form, is delivered by the grippers to the belt 8, and then passes in between the belt and the cords 12, by which they are carried to the discharging point below the drum 6.

In producing side seam envelopes, they must also pass endwise through the machine, but as the machine is constructed to fold down only one of the stipped end flaps, the side seam envelopes are delivered to the belt 8, with one end flap folded down and the other end flap also stipped and creased but not folded down, and the side flap unfolded and unstipped. The remaining end flap must be folded over and pressed down to produce the side seam envelope shown in. Fig. 8, and this is accomplished by the oscillating hooks 46, the wheels 37 and 40, and the cord belts 41, and the pressure rollers 42 and 45, as above described.

The unfolded end flap, in either-case, is creased along the folding line before being delivered to the belt '8, and this enables the end flap of the side seam envelopes, to be engaged by the hooks 44, and pulled beneath the rollers 37 and 40. The cords 48, not only rotate the wheels 37, but they hold the shafts 10 against the pull of the cord belts 12.

In the practical operation of the improved attachment z-The envelopes are delivered successively to the'belt 8 and are pushed fordraw the envelope forward so that the said glued flap is folded down and this end of the envelope passes under the sheave wheels 37 and 40 and betweenthe cord belts 41 and the canvas belt 8. As each envelope is released by the gripper head, it drops on the preceding envelope so as to overlap it, and the envelopes are carried forward in overlapping order, as shown by Fig. 1. As the envelopes pass first under the roller 45 and then under the roller 42, the glued flap is pressed tightly against the body of the envelope, and after passing beyond the roller 42, the envelopes are held between the cord belts 12, and the canvas belt 8, and in this manner, they are carried over and under the drum 7 and rearward to the sheave wheels 19 below the drum 6, at which point, they pass out from between the canvas belt 8 and the cord belts 12 and are received by an endless conveyornot shown by which they are carried to a place of deposit. As the belt 8 moves slowly, the glue on the envelopes becomes thoroughly dry, before the envelopes are discharged from the belt, and

the cover flaps are later supplied with glue,

by hand.

When the desired number of side seam envelopes have been turned out, themachinc may again be utilized for making center seam envelopes, by simply removing the rollers 42 and 45, the sheave wheels 37 and 40 withtheir supporting shaft 29, and operating rod 3132 and the cord belts 38 and 41'. The required rocking movement of the shaft 29 and its books 46 can be obtained by a proper adjustment in the length of the rod 31-33 through the medium of the block 32; and the position of the shaft 29 with respect to the pusher 50 can be varied to suit envelopes of different lengths, by moving the bars 25 either forward or backward in the channel members 22.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device of the character, described, the combination with a slowly moving endless belt and means for successively depositing en 1 envelopes upon the belt until they reach a point of discharge.

thebody of the envelope and means for hold- 'ing. the envelopes upon the belt until they reach a point of discharge.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a slowly moving endless'belt, means for successively depositing envelopes thereon in overlapping order, said envelopes having their forward end flaps unfolded but stipp ed with glue and means for pushing said envelopes forward, of movable parallel endless cores in parallel relation and engagement with said belt, oscillating means for engaging and folding down the said unfolded flaps and drawing said envelopes under said cords, rollers for press-h g said flaps down upon said envelopes and means for holding said envelopes upon the belt until they reach a point of discharge.

- 4'. Ina device for making side seam ,envelopes; the combination with a slowly moving endless belt, means for successively depositing envelopes thereonin overlapping order and means for successively pushing said envelopes forward; said envelopes having their forward endfiaps unfolded but stipped with glue, of a rock shaft supported above said belt and means for actuating the same, wheels loosely mounted on said shaft, a roller support above said belt at a distance from said wheels, endless cords connectingsaid wheels and said roller and. in contact with said belt,

hooks on said rock shaft for engaging and folding down the said unfolded flaps and drawing said envelopes under said wheels, said cords holding said envelopes upon the belt until they pass under said roller, and other means for holding them on the belt unti they reach a point of discharge. I

5. In mecl'ianism for making side seam envelopcs, the combination with aslowly mov ing endless belt and means for successively depositing envelopes thereon, said envelopes having their forward end flaps unfolded but stipped with glue; of a rock shaft supported above said belt and means for actuating the same, wheels loosely mounted on said rock shaft, a roller'supported above the beltat a distance from the rock shaft, a second roller in swinging engagement with the first roller and resting upon said belt, endless cords connecting the first roller andsaid wheels and in contact with said belt, hookson said rock shaft for engaging and folding down the said unfolded flaps and drawing said envelopes under said cords, whereby they are held upon 1;

said belt until they pass under said rollers, and other means for holding them upon the belt until theyreach a point of discharge.

6. In mechanism for making side seam envelopes,the combination with a slowly moving endless belt ,and mean-s for successively depositing envelopes thereon, saidenvelopes having theirforward end flaps unfolded but stipped with glue; of oscillating means for engaging .and folding down said unfolded flaps and and having a lever arm, a power driven crank, a rod connectingsaid lever arm and crank and means whereby the length of said arm may be varied, thereby to vary the rocking movement ofsaid -shaft, hooks on said shaft toengage and fold down said unfolded flaps and draw said envelopes forward, means to receive and. hold the envelopes upon the beltfor a part of their travel, means for forcibly pressing down the said flaps, and means for holding the envelopes upon the belt after leaving the pressing mean-s, until they reach a point of discharge.

' 8. In mechanism for making side seam envelopes, the combination with a slowly mov ing endless belt and means for depositing envelopes thereon in successive order, said envelopes having their forward end flaps unfolded but .stipped with glue; of a rock shaft supported above said belt having hooks thereon, means to rock said shaft to cause said hooks to engage the saidunfolded flaps and fold them down and draw said envelopes forward, endless means movable with the belt to engage and hold the envelopes upon the belt, pressure rolls beneath which said. envelopes pass and means for holding the envelopes upon the belt after they pass under said rolls and until they reach a point of discharge.

9. In a device of theicharacter described, a frame, a slowly moving endless belt mount ed in said frame, a cross bar secured on said frame immediately below the upper lap of the belt, brackets removably secured to said cross bar, bearings adjustably mounted in said brackets, a .rockshaft supported in said bearin s and means for actuating the same,

hooks on said rock shaft, means-for succes sivelydepositing envelopes. on said shaft, said envelopes having their forward end but 'st-ipped with glut e2 1 l envelopes r. a ward;

the said unfolded flaps are successively engaged by said hooks and folded over and the envelopes drawn forward, endless means movable with the belt for engaging and holding the envelopes upon the belt, rotary means for pressing the envelopes, and means for holding the pressed envelopes upon the belt until they reach a point of discharge.

10. In mechanism for making side seam envelopes, the combination with a slowly moving endless belt and means for depositing envelopes thereon in successive order, said envelopes having their forward end flaps unfolded but stipped with glue, of a rock shaft above said belt and means for actuating the same, hooks on said rock shaft, a pair of sheave wheels loosely mounted thereon, double groove sheave wheels distant from said rock shaft and endless cords connecting them and the said loosely mounted sheave wheels, a second pair of loosely mounted sheave wheels on said rock shaft, a roller beyond said double groove sheave wheels and endless cords connecting said roller and said second pair of loosely mounted sheave Wheels, a gravity roller in swinging relation to the first roller, sheave wheels adjacent the rear terminal and under lap of saidbelt, and endless belt-surrounding cords which are supported on said double groove sheave wheels and upon the last mentioned sheave wheels,

CARL L. TUCKER. 

